Milk bottle cap package



Dec. 29, 1931. ow 1,838,797

MILK BOTTLE GAP PACKAGE Filed Jan. 5, 1931 Q L'umn 1 0w Patented Dec, 29, 193.1

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application filed January 15, 1981. Serial No. 508,889.

This invention relates to a package of milk bottle caps.

An object of the invention is to provide a relatively simple construction enabling a supply of novel milk bottle caps to be easily marketed without dangerof damaging the caps, and which will enable the supply to be readily mounted or installed on a capping machine so that the caps may be consecutively fed to the machine and capped by the machine on a milk bottle.

The invention contemplates the use of a milk bottle cap formed of paper board or cardboard, the cap having a marginal tab which, when the body of the cap is seated in the mouth of a milk bottle, is bent upwardly so as to be readily available to remove the cap. In marketing a supply of caps the sup ply is placed in a tubular container having a longitudinal crimp forming a groove on the inside of the container in which the marginal tabs are disposed so that the marginal tabs will be kept in alignment and be properly fed to the capping machine without binding 55 or becoming caught within the container.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be made manifest in the following detailed description, and specifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference is had to the accompanying drawings for an illustrative embodiment of the invention, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of the improved package of milk bottle caps, parts being broken away and shown in vertical section.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken upon the line 2-2 upon Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view illustrating the manner in which the package is installed upon a capping machine.

ig. 4 is a compound horizontal section taken substantially upon the line 4- 1 upon Fig. 3.

wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout, the'improved package consists of a supply of milk bottle caps 10 disposed in stacked relation; Each cap has its body 11 circular in form and has Referring to the accompanying drawings, 1

a marginal tab 12 extending radially therefrom. When the cap is seated in the mouth of a milk bottle, the marginal tab 12 is bent upwardly and being integral with the body 0 the cap and of the same thickness it forms a readily available means by which the ca can be removed from its seat on the milk bottle. The container for the sup 'ly of caps is in the form of a tube 13, prefera ly formed of stiff paper, paper board, cardboard, or the like, and has formed thereon a longitudinal crimp, generally designated at 14, which povides a longitudinally extending groove 15 on the interior of the tube. The major portion of the tube is circular in cross section so as to fit snugly about the body 11 of each cap with a slight clearance. The minor portion which is devoted to formin the crimp receives the marginal tabs 12 an maintains them in vertical alignment. As this crimp is relatively small as compared with the size of the body of the tube it effectively strengthens the tube and it constitutes a type of truss which will effectively protect the ali ed marginal tabs 12 from damage during s ipment or handling. The ends of the tube are preferably crimped inwardly as indicated at 16 to maintain the caps in position within the tube.

The package is designed to be installed as an entirety on a capping machine. Conventional hand cappers and machine cappers nowin general use have an upwardly extending cylinder or hell 17. Adjacent the bottom of the bell there is a slide or reciprocating plate 18, having a semi-circular recess in its forward edge at 19 adapted to partially receive a round milk bottle cap and carry it from beneath the supply of caps to a position beneath a ram or plunger which seats the cap on a milk bottle. This upwardly extending cylinder or bell in a conventional construct1on has a slot formed in its side which is arranged on that side toward the reciprocating plate 18. The slot extends upwardly from the bottom of the bell to a point near the top and it has been customary in positioning a tube of round caps in this bell to insert the finger or an implement through the slot to support the bottom of the stack of caps while 10.

the tubular container is being positioned. I find that I can readily convert such a conventional machine to an improved machine which will employ the improved packageof caps by sawing through the top of the cyl1nder-or bell 17 so as to extend the slot clear to the top of the bell. The condition of the cylinder or bell after the slot has been completely sawed through is illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. When the slot is thus sawed through the cylinder or hell which receives the bottom of the package of caps has an open side 20. In positioning the improved package of caps, the caps are so arranged that their tabs and the crimp 14 are positioned in the open side 20. The reciprocating plate 18 has a notch 21 which will receive the marginal tab. In this manner it will be readily appreciated that not only does the crimp 14 protect the marginal tabs 12 from damage but that the crimp when positioned in the open side 20 serves to maintain the tabs 12 in vertical alignment and feed them in such a position that their tabs will enter notch 21.

By virtue of the fact that the major portion of the tube is circular in form and that there is ample clearance between the sides of the crimp and the sides of the tabs 12, I find from experience that the caps on sliding downwardly within the tube seldom if ever bind or become caught in the tube. On the contrary the caps slide freely and smoothly through the tube as they are removed therefrom consecutively by the plate 18.

From the above described construction it will be appreciated that a novel, simple and advantageous package of milk bottle caps is provided which protects the marginal tabs of the caps and causes them to be properly fed to a capping machine.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by the a pended claims.

I c aim:

1. A package of milk bottle caps comprising a self-sustaining stifi tube having a longitu inally extending groove on its interior, and a series of milk bottle caps each having a marginal tab positioned in the groove so that the groove maintains the tabs in alignment, said caps being slightly smaller than the interior of the tube enabling free movement of the caps within the tube during dispensing of the caps.

2. A package of milk bottle caps comprising a self-sustaining stifl' paper tube, the major portion being circular in cross section, the minor portion being in the form of a longitudinally extending crimp providing a groove on the interior of the tube, said tube being filled with milk bottle caps each having a marginal tab extending into the groove, said caps being slightly smaller than the interior of the tube enabling free movement of the caps within the tube during dispensing of the caps.

3. A package of milk bottle caps comprising a self-sustaining stifii' paper tube of uniform cross sectional thickness, the major portion being circular in cross section, the minor portion being in the form of a longitudinally extending crimp providing a groove on the interior of the tube, said tube being filled with milk bottle caps each having a marginal tab extending into the groove, said caps being slightly smaller than the interior of the tube enabling free movement of the caps within the tube during dispensing of the caps.

4. A package of milk bottle caps comprising a self-sustaining stiff paper tube, the major portion being circular in cross section, the minor portion beingv in the form of a longitudinally extending crimp providing a groove on the interior of the tube, said tube being filled with milk bottle caps each having a marginal tab extending into the groove, the ends of the tube being lnwardly crimped to maintain the caps therein, said caps being slightly smaller than the interior of the tube enabling free movement of the caps within the tube during dispensing of the caps.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

LILLIAN TOWY.

LOO 

